Stalk-cutter



No. 621,534. Patented Mar. 2|', |399.

.1. J. MlzE.

STALK CUTTER.

(Application led Oct. 21, 189B.)

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(No Model.)

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STALK GUTTER.

(Application filed Oct. 21, 189B.)

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||II E zo' Z' W u f5 Nirnn STATES PATENT Fries.-

JOI-IN J. MIZE, OF'PELIAIAM, GEORGIA.

- STALK-CUTT'ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,534, dated March 21, 189'9.

Application filed October 21I 1898. Serial No. 694,228. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN J. MIZE, a citize of the United States, residing at Pelham, in the county of Mitchell and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Cotton and Corn Stalk Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stalk-cutters, and has for vits object to provide a device of 4this class which is adapted to follow and operate efficiently upon an uneven surface of soil, the cutting members being so mounted and related as to adapt them to operate upon surfaces in different planes, and, furthermore, to provide a simple, strong, and efficient construction of cutter-wheel.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stalk-'cutter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view, partly in section, of the same, showing the members arranged at an angle to indicate the different relative positions which may be occupied thereby. Fig. 3 is a partial inverted plan view. Fig. 4 is a central section of one of the wheels.

- Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. Y

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the apparatus consists of two frames 1, having suitable platforms 2 and respectively provided with tongues 3, each of said frames also having depending bearing-boxes 4, in which are mounted the spindles 5 of the cutter-wheels 6, the spindles of the two Wheels being' separate to provide for independent rotation and for the occupation by the two wheels of different angular positions. The frames are hingedly connected or coupled, a simple form of connection being illustrated in the drawings, wherein 7 and 8 represent front and rear ears projecting inwardly from the frames and provided in their overlapping extremities with openings throughl which extends a pivot bolt or pin 9. Also to connect the elements of the machine I employ a coupling-bar 10, extending transversely between the tongues and having a rolling bearing upon each. In the construction illustrated each tongue is provided with a convexed bearingseat 11, upon which the coupling-bar rests,

and a vertical bolt 12 extends 'through the tongue and bearing-seat and also through the coupling-bar. In order, however, to allow the independent rocking movement of the frames, said coupling-bar is slotted, as shown at 13, for the reception of the bolts, thus allowing swinging movement of the bolts in said slots to correspond with the lateral rocking movement of the frames.

Each of the cutter-.wheels consists of terminal heads ordisks 14 and an intermediate or bracing-disk 15 and knives terminally fitted in lseats in the terminal disksl and arranged at intermediate points in peripheral seats in the intermediate disk. Each knife is provided at its extremities with reduced tongues 16 to engage the seats in the terminal disks, vsaid seats,however, extending outwardly from the inner surfaces of the disks, but terminating short of the outer surfaces thereof, and when seated the terminal tongues of the knives are flush with the peripheries of the body portions of the heads or disks 14. To secure these terminal tongues of the knives in place, I attach to the peripheries of the heads or disks suitable metal tires 17, Which'constitute shoes for traversing the surface of the soil, whereby the use of auxiliary supporting or ground wheels is avoided.

In operation the cutter-wheels are adapted, it will be understood, to traverse portions of the surface of the soil which are in different planes, whereby with one of the wheels upon an elevation the other will traverse and operate eiiiciently in connection vwith adepressed portion of the surface to avoid the difficulty in a "double stalk-cutter of securing a uniform operation of the machine while traversing soil having an uneven surface. It

will be understood, furthermore, that the parts of the apparatus as herein described are readily separable when the use of only one is required; but I have found in practice that with the yielding connection between the members of the apparatus it is possible to obtain a result as satisfactory in less time IOO than it is possible to obtain with a single roller of a length adapted to properly follow the surface which is being traversed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A stalk-cutter having cutter-Wheel-supporting frames, hingedly connected at their contiguous sides and provided With independent forwardly-extending bearing-seats of oross-seetionally oonvexed contour, a coupling-bar resting upon said bearingseats, and bolts connecting the bearing-seats and coupling-bar, and extending through longitudinal slots in the latter to allow an independent rockin g Inoveinent'of the frame meinbers with relation to each other, substantially as specified.

2. In a stalk-cutter, the combination of separate cutter-Wheel-supporting frame me1nbers, hingedly connected at their adjacent sidesfor independent swinging movement and provided with forwardly-extending tongues having cross-seotionally oonvexed bearingseats, a transverse coupling-bar resting upon said bearingeseats, and means, having a sliding connection with the coupling-bar, for holding the latter in operative relation with the bearing-seats, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in .the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN J. MIZE. 

